Sweet Dreams are...Based on Previous Dreams

Happy Monday, everyone! It's time for another Adventure in the Austentatious!

So, the other day I was talking with a student about his story, and he told me that he was disappointed. Disappointed by what? Well, he'd come up with the idea of having physical doorways that could also act as portals to other places.

And he was disappointed that someone else had come up with that idea already.

No, the idea of using physical doors as portals isn't new--in fact, the magic of hospitality and the importance of boundaries and thresholds are tropes in some of our earliest stories and myths. The fact that they are often used as symbols for either change (opportunities provided by an open door) or permanence (the sensation of being trapped by a closed door) shows how ingrained the idea of doors as transportation is.

That's not to say that the kid had a bad idea--in fact, I'd argue that it was quite the opposite. His brain had taken all of the social stimuli about doors and compiled it into--what was at the time--a new idea for him.

But that idea came from somewhere.

Pretty much all stories that we read--or tell, or hear--are based on other works. My stories are influenced by Terry Pratchett--because I really connected with his books--but also tend to involve a journey for a goal (since I liked to read adventure books as a kid). Shakespeare's works were based on earlier stories (Romeo and Juliet comes to us from Romulus and Juliet, not to mention his not-quite-accurate histories), and most biblical tales are repeated in (or repeats of, depending on your beliefs) myths and legends from other cultures.

In short, when you take all works of humanity as a whole, nothing is original. Everything came from somewhere, even if it's an amalgamation of cultural norms made orderly by our brains (there's the Kantian in me).

Everything is plagerism, therefore we should all be sued.

However, just because nothing is original when taken in the context of the whole doesn't mean that it isn't original in the context of the part.

For this kid, the idea of doorways as portals was original. For me, it's been figuring out how to play games over Zoom--and how to formulate my workout routine. For many people, it's how to structure a day where you're working from home, or how to mentally designate different areas of your house for different activities. These can all be original ideas for the individual, even if there are thousands of guides online giving tips for each of them.

So, don't take it hard if your idea turns out to also have been someone else's idea long before you thought of it. Follow their advice if you want--after all, they might have already solved the problems of your future--but feel free to keep pushing through your own mistakes to find those answers. We live in trying times, so if we're not trying (in originality or not) then we won't get through the times.

This has been another adventure of the austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way then tell everyone.

Stay well, be amazing.

And happy quarantine.

Exercise Unlimited

(V-log in production)

Hey all, happy Friday! Another week successfully passed--and boy did it go by fast. The Senate passed their version of the stimulus, which now needs the House's approval; famous people are starting to die from the coronavirus, and newspapers are reporting it; and Borus Johnson, the PM of the UK, has caught the disease.

OH, and the US now has more [confirmed] cases than anyone else. We're number one! We're number one!

Well, at least we're finally testing.

But my week has been full. I've been procrastinating from writing, having meetings, working on my video making skills (and crashing my computer in the process...whoops!), figuring out how to play table-top games remotely (successes so far: Forbidden Island, Sentinels of the Multiverse, Cat Lady, Poker, Cribbage, Uno, and Pandemic), and falling into my workout.

Last time I was this fit was back in High School.

So, one of my roommates and I start out our day with some stretches and exercise. She takes the stretches, and I take on the exercise. Now, I have never been a sporty individual.

I mean, I teach D&D for pity's sake!

But that doesn't mean I haven't been fit. I use my bike as my means of commute, burning a few calories every day and staying on the healthier side of things. However, I've never really gone into a fitness regimen unless someone forced it on me. In other words, going into this I had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING!!!

Originally, my workout went like this: crunches with hands behind the lower back as a support (two reps), push-ups (one rep), sit-ups (one rep), squats (one rep). A fairly standard routine--I thought--and I'd heard somewhere along the line that it was better to change what muscles you were targeting rather than just focus on the one. And it is a light workout.

Um...no! I rather like being lithe!

But, after doing some research, I've discovered somethings: sit-ups are bad for your body, especially your spine. Pushups, for the least amount of stress on the body, should always be done with the arms at a 45º angle to the body. Also, planking is really, really good for you.

So, taking the research, I've changed some things. My new workout is crunches (one rep, right knee bent, still with hands behind back, keeping back straight), push-ups (three isometric, twelve regular since my muscles are trained for 90º pushups, not 45º), squats (one rep, with waits), plank (holding it, with right arm raised, and with left arm raised)crunches (one rep, left knee bent, still with hands behind back, keeping back straight), and plank (holding it as long as we can stay in good form). I also alternate each day whether I go for a walk or a run. But I've noticed something weird--my running time is slower on the days after I stretch.

And huh, what do you know, there's some research on that...

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way then tell everybody! Stay healthy, be amazing...

And happy quarantine.

In Gratitude of Advice

V-Log (since my computer is being a pill)

It was five years ago.

I was sitting in one of my grad school classes on our last day. We were doing presentations of some kind.

And I was in a mood.

I don't remember what exactly had been going on--if it was a thing that just happened that day, or if it had been going on for a while--but I was feeling low.

As part of the presentations, my professor (and cohort leader--I adore that woman) had brought in cards. Our job was to write a note to at least three people, commenting on something they had done well either in the presentation or in the class.

So I wrote one...and then the second...and then the third...and then a fourth...and a fifth. For you see, I was reminded of something I heard while in Japan. One of the trainers talked about when he'd been having a hard time, his boss had given him an assignment.

"Every day this week, I want you to write down something nice that you noticed about every one of the teachers you are training."

Looking for those positive qualities helped him back then, just as it helped me on that day.

And it's helping me now.

Not going to lie, the past 36 hours have been a little bit harder for me. I've been overworking, and the reality of the situation is hitting home. This is not going to be a short quarantine--we're all in this for the long haul.

It's the Quarantine, and it deserves the capital Q.

But whenever I start to get low, I think of all of the people I'm thankful for and why. I refocus my work, reminding myself that a lot of what I'm doing is to help them. Either making funny videos, betting competitions, or just checking in.

And I'm not the only one.

My mother had a great idea the other day, one taken from a story we heard on NPR: going out every night at 8:00 and applauding the healthcare workers of the world with her neighbors. It is a cool idea--it's engaging in thanks (so many positive effects on the brain), and it's getting a little of that social interaction that she craves.

But I would love it if she would take it a step further (so far, she hasn't).

See, giving thanks has two parts to it. There's the person thanking, and the person/ group/ thing being thanked. Only having one part of that equation isn't nearly as effective as having both.

I think she should video it each night and share it online. That way it will actually be seen by the healthcare workers--showing them that some people really do care and are thankful--and it will inspire magnitudes more people to do the same.

But, at the end of the day, it's those small acts of thanks that can help make this whole thing bearable. And for that, I am thankful.

This has been another (less enthusiastic/ funny) Adventure of the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don't care either way, then tell everyone. Stay safe, stay healthy.

And happy quarantine.

Links to more info on giving thanks and the brain:
-A video from Kurzgesagt about how thankfulness can help with dissatisfaction.
-A bit more of a sciency view on gratitude.
-A way to practice gratitude in a daily way.
-A Huffington Post article that gives a basic understanding of the neuroscience.

I C-Ant Be Walled in, Young Grasshopper

Happy Monday!

We made it through a weekend—and now school is officially on SPRING BREAK!!!

Crack open the barbie, load up the kids, and get ready to go…Nowhere, since places are closed due to quarantine and the governor will announce new restrictions any minute now.

Yay.

Also, the weather turned from sunny and near-summer weather…

Sun...too...bright...must...show...haircut...

To rain. Pretty average, to be honest, but it’s another reason to stay inside and read.

Speaking of which, I like to get my news from many different points of view. Some I agree with (Thank you, BBC). Others I have the occasional disagreement with (really, The Atlantic?), while some I have many issues with (here’s looking at you, The American Conservative).

Recently, an article caught my eye in an unexpected way. It’s from TAC—since The Atlantic is now all but pay-walled, and BBC is focusing on breadth over depth.

The article is a look at covid-19 through the lens of one of Aesop’s fables: The Ant and the Grasshopper. For those who don’t know, it’s the tale of, well, read the title. The ant works all summer harvesting food, while the grasshopper lounges around, enjoying life. 

YOLO!

Come winter, the ant has food and survives. The grasshopper, having done no preparation, dies. Pulling away from the, “everyone for themselves” mentality, the premise of the article is that we’re the grasshopper: while the US should have been preparing for something like this for decades, we instead ignored the doom and gloom of the experts and kept on trucking. 

Let the puppies be a stand-in for your, "this is important," issue of choice.

Even worse, the article claims, we squandered precious time in the last few months by ignoring the problem. And we’re still not taking it seriously .

So far, so good. An odd way of pointing out 20/20 (or should it be 2020?) hindsight obviousness, but a good point none-the-less.

Then it breaks down into, “so, let’s build that wall to keep everyone out.” The argument being that, since foreigners brought it in, if we keep them out we’ll be safe.

Ignoring the fact that it was US citizens traveling abroad who brought it back, I see your thought process and raise you one Plague of Athens.

Believe me, this is sooo much better.

See, about 2,400 years ago, Athens and Sparta were in a little conflict called the Peloponesian War. Sparta controlled the land, Athens controlled the sea, and it looked as though the tyrannical democracy could outlast the tyrannical muscle-men. To help the war effort, Athens built its long wall—and I do mean long. It not only encircled the city-state itself, but stretched to their nearest port. So long as they could be supplied from the sea, they were invincible.

Thank you, Wikipedia. Also...loong, loon, waaaAAAAaaaaallll!!!

What could go wrong?

Well, most of the people of Attica—the region around Athens—hid in the city for safety. As such, they were a little overcrowded—and what does overcrowding cause?

Plague.

OR, AS I CALL IT, OVERTIME.

We’re still not sure what it was exactly—it might be Typhus, an early case of the Bubonic Plague, or something that’s died out. What we do know (thank you Thucydides) is that it ripped through the population.

The ones trapped inside the walls.

To quote the ancient historian himself, “…mortality raged without restraint. The bodies of dying men lay one upon another, and half-dead creatures reeled about the streets and gathered round all the fountains in their longing for water.”

Sounds pretty darn terrible.

So, here’s the thing. Quarantine & personal space: yes. We’ve known that people pass disease to each other for thousands of years—and that surviving the plague can make you immune.

But building a wall won’t keep out diseases—if anything, it can make them worse.

Compared to Athens, the Spartans—who didn’t build nearly as many walls—were relatively unaffected. They were able to continue their campaign—and eventually win the war—while the Athenians effectively lost the day the plague came.

And all because their walls trapped them inside, increasing the spread of disease.

So, let’s take another look at the fable: The Ant and the Grasshopper. I’ll agree that we’ve been the grasshopper for a long time, taking advantage of the natural moat of the oceans around us. Heck, we even squandered the opportunity of the past two months for…reasons...

It rhymes with goals...moles...holes I'm digging myself into...

But now we do need to be the ant. I’d argue that productivity and preparedness were not the only skills that helped the ant to survive. It needed focus as well.

If we’re going to make our way out of this, we’ll need to focus. Sideline politics—like a wall, abortion rights, supreme court nominations—need to stay on the sidelines. We need to be thinking about solutions for the now, with an eye for the betterment of later.

In short, we should all be the ant, but we can leave behind the anthill on which we’ll die.

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don’t care either way, then tell everybody. Peace out, stay healthy.

And happy quarantine.



Works Consulted:
-Wikipedia: The Plague of Athens 
-Thucydides, University of Chicago 
-Ancient History Encyclopedia 
-The offending article

A Point to the Pointless

It’s Friday! Happy quarantine, everyone. It’s officially been a week since school shut down and everything went quiet. So, what’s gone on in that time? Lots of stuff.

I’ve settled into my routine. Jeeze, it was hard at first. After so many years of working at schools, the shift to working from home wasn’t easy. After all, even when I wasn’t going in early this year, both of my roommates were, so life still had that familiar flow.

Now? Not so much.

One of my roommates still goes in early—providing low income childcare by official permission of the governor (yay fancy titles)—while the other is about as home-bound as me. I’m not sure how that’s going to work out, because…

I haven’t been home since Tuesday.

I went out to Hood River to see my dad. For those who don’t know (which, since my readership is zilch, is currently 0%) Hood River is a town about forty-five minutes east of Portland. 

The majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest. The trees...the hills...Mt/Adams pointing from behind a hill...

And my dad's neighbor's llamas...who were strangely photo shy.

It’s definitely rural, and relatively calm. Part of me is really enjoying the change—especially the lack of cat—but more of me wants to get back. At least for now.

Things are just so up in the air right now that I’m not even sure what to think.

But I’m rambling, because I went into this article without focus, without a point in mind. I thought I’d just write about what I’d done this week, without asking myself why that would matter.

And it does matter a great deal. I’m just one voice of many—a growing percentage of the population is trapped inside. California now has a state-wide ban on travel. Oregon this morning said that it wasn’t on the table. Then again, they also said that schools would stay open on Wednesday last week, and we all saw how that played out.

At the end of the day, every quarantined person is going to need to find their own point and purpose. Yes, they might be working from home, but to what end? In an office, surrounded by people, it’s easy to feel like a part of a larger whole. Not a critical part—mind you, although people are more critical than they give themselves credit for—but an important part nonetheless.

At home, surrounded by distractions, it can be harder to put those ideas into perspective. 

It's a black background because it sucks everything in: light, matter...free time.

What’s the use of working on project A when streaming is so much more enjoyable? Why does holding the briefing matter when I can’t directly see the fruits of my labor?

The answer, as with everything in life, depends on perspective. Just because you can’t see the effects doesn’t mean they don’t happen. It just means that (if you’ll excuse a little joke from an almost-atheist) you’ll have to have faith both in others, and in your own ability to change.

What’s my purpose, then? What’s the overarching reason I’m doing anything? Why am I writing words that literally no one is going to read?

The same purpose as always—my kids. I’m planning out ways to give them things to look forward to. Maybe that’s setting up a gambling ring. Maybe that’s creating an afterschool activity. Maybe it’s opening up parts of my day where they can ring in and just talk and interact like everything’s normal.

Because it will be normal, one day. Either this new situation will continue on indefinitely and this is how we’ll live the rest of our lives, or things will return to a semblance of the way they were. They’ll never go back—we’ll always carry the scars, like the food hoarding from the depression that my grandparents still sometimes do—but we can choose to be better for this.

And that would have made an excellent ending, but there’s just one last little point I want to make.

In that vein, I made them something fun yesterday. I have no idea if it’s any good, but I had fun making it. I took a script and read it in my voices, and I’ve posted it below. If it’s not your thing, then skip it. But if it’s something that you enjoy, please give it a watch and give me some feedback. I love being able to improve.

Anyway, this has been another Adventure of the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends. If you hated it, tell your enemies. If you don’t care either way, tell everyone. Peace out, stay healthy.

And happy quarantine.

Writing in a Time of Nothing Else to Do

Today in NEWS HISTORY: The border with Canada is being closed—mostly.

See, when the US stopped all flights to and from Europe (except, at the start, the UK and Ireland, because that strain wouldn’t affect Americans?) there was a huge uproar. It was unilateral for one, and very sudden. Now—equally suddenly and less than a week later—the border with Canada is, by decree of both the President and Prime Minister, closed to all but essential duties.

Trade is being counted as essential, and thank goodness for that.

This gets back to my earlier point about planning for after the Quarantine. Life will go one, but if we let it stop now then it’ll be harder to get it back up and running.

So, to keep myself busy, I’m turning to writing. I’m even getting back to this blog fairly regularly. And what’s the topic for today?

WRITING

Pictured: A good idea for someone 30 years older than me.

Specifically, how to start a piece (or opus , if you’re feeling fancy). See, I’d argue that some people have good ideas from time to time. I’d even argue that most people have them often. 

No, not that kind of good idea.

 
The issue is how or where to start.

“All stories start with characters.” I read that on a lesson plan once, and just about put that advice where it belongs: burning into a trash-heap of chemical weapons.

Yes, some stories start with character, but not all stories. How do I know this? Because that’s how I write. My characters ALways come last.

I start with plot. I know my start and my goal, and then I figure out how to get there. Problem solved, book written, time to get $1,000,000 dollars, right?

Wrong.

So, here’re my steps to writing a novel. Note: I have never published anything. My knowledge of writing is ad hoc at best—and partially contradictory at worst. If someone smarter than me with more experience says that I’m wrong, then brain them with that grain of salt because I’m right listen to what they have to say. Note 2: I’m a pantser. That means my first draft is my outline, which means I do more re-writes.

Step 1) Know thy strengths.

Good for life, so-so for Scrabble, bad for Life.

As far as I can tell, people tend to be stronger in one of three categories: plot, characters, or world. When you read a story, what are you drawn to? Do you fall in love with the character and write bad slash fiction where Frodo is saved by Iron Man? Do you delve into the lore of George RR Martin so deeply that he asks you to fact check him? Or do you like tinkering with the plot, reveling in tropes and coming up with twists and turns that no one sees coming?

Find your strength, and start there.

Step 2) Use your strength

Just because it's a strength doesn't mean it's easy.

Just start writing. Give me a character bio, or a historical description of the world. Write a journey where nothing matters because the characters are paper-thin. Get the words on the page—you can tinker with them later. It doesn’t have to be good (yet), but it should be something because…
 
Step 3) Add in another layer

Oooh, pretty...

My first drafts are basically plot outlines. I know the goal, I just need to fit the details in between. However, they’re really boring and unengaging [screw you, Microsoft, that’s a word] because (spoiler alert) none of my characters care about what’s going on.

So, my next step is to add character, right? Wrong. I suck at characters and dialogue, so instead I start adding in world details. I write those histories and the societies. Basically, why does the plot matter to the world and the civilizations in it?

For you, find out which of the remaining categories is easier and work with that. Rewrite your chapters, and this time focus on adding in those details. If you’re adding world, then describe what’s going on around the story and how the story impacts it. If you’re adding in character, then think about their motivations and what drives them to complete the story. If you’re adding in plot, then focus on the parts that impact and/or change the world and/or characters (believe me, the color coding was necessary).

So, you’ve rewritten everything and added in all those details. That means…

Step 4) Add in that last part.

There, a motivational cat poster. MOTIVATION ACTIVATE!!

By now, you should have enough context to fill in the gaps. For me, I’ve written my characters enough times that I can figure out their motivations and give them half-way decent dialogue. For adding in the world, look for gaps where the scenery enhances the action. For adding in the plot, look for the intersections of impact for characters and world (no color coding necessary). Please see previous section for details on what I mean by that.

Now that you’ve rewritten your work a third time, you get to…

Step 5) Rewrite until you’re happy

'Cause it's the icing on the cake!

I’m never happy with my work. That’s a lie—I love editing it to shreds. But eventually, the editing process has to stop. My current work is getting really close—and with this quarantine, I should have plenty of time—but it’s not there yet. Every time I rewrite it gets better, and every time it gets better it gets closer to being published.

And why do I want it so good?

Why, to be as amazing as possible for my kids.

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you like it, tell your friends. If you hated it, tell your enemies. And if you don’t care either way then tell everybody.

Happy Quarantine! (All images thanks to Creative Commons)

But Everything Changed When Thursday Attacked

Last week (03/08-03/14). My goodness, last week was a week. It’ll be the kind of thing people talk about for ages, the kind of thing that ends up in the history books.

The week we all woke up and realized that Corvid-19 was bad. Really bad.

As a history hobbiest, I have a problem with the inevitability of how it was written. Rome was always going to fall. The US was always going to win WWII. Schools were always going to close last week. But nothing is set in stone, and while some outcomes might have been more likely, there was always a chance for something to go differently.

However unlikely that is.

Like Oregon would give up our coastline.

Fair warning, this post isn’t going to be quite like the others. I can't guarantee the humor. It’ll be a firsthand account of the week everything went to heck; a primary source, if you will. This is for all of the future historians out there, the ones trying to piece together what happened The Week that Started the Quarantine. #SearchTerms Coronovirus Corvid-19 “The Quarantine” 03/12/2020

03/08/2020-The time change. It sucked, but it was the mundane kind of less-than-fun. That sudden jetlag that comes but twice a year to remind us that even the most useless of events can still keep going. Yay?

03/09/2020-Monday. I was subbing for a Library teacher. Things went well. The assumption was that school would probably stay open until Spring Break, though the closure of some universities was causing some anxiety.

03/10/2020-Tuesday. Again, everyone assumed that everything was going to stay open, but the number of subs was worrying. I myself was doing three jobs—helping in two Kindergarten classes and teaching library. Can someone say hectic?

03/11/2020-Wednesday. I was only in Kindergarten. The number of subs was down, and things were returning to normal. It was a good day overall, and it seemed like the troubles had passed. It still seemed like schools would stay open.

I’m going to pause here to just reiterate this: even on Wednesday, there was no reason to think that things would close. I’m sure people of the future reading this will think we were all idiots, but all signs were pointing to us being able to hold on for one more week—just until Spring Break. At the end of the day, this belief was fueled by misinformation from all sides—the Republican federal government (thank you, president Trump, for all the reasons) and the Democratic state government (here’s looking at you, Governor Brown). I hate when information is withheld, because inevitably it leads to both panic and a greater distrust in elected officials if/when it gets found out.

And there was so much more that we could have been doing earlier.

03/12/2020-Thursday. The morning started as normal. I was going to be up in middle school for most of the day, but checked in with our elementary school just in case. They wanted me in the office for an hour, and I was able to oblige. On the way out the senior admin assistant asked if I’d heard about the governor’s announcement. As my news sources tended more towards the national and international—I’d fallen out of the habit of watching the nightly news—I had not. However, I quickly looked it up.

Imagine those moments in movies where the camera zooms in on a person but the background stays the same—the Dolly Zoom (had a better video, but he swore at the end. @#$!). The moment that inevitably means that something has slapped into the fan. Here is what the press release said she was going to announce:

1. Large gatherings: All large gatherings over 250 people will be canceled statewide effective immediately for four weeks. A gathering is defined as any event in a space in which appropriate social distancing of a minimum of three feet cannot be maintained.

2. Schools: In addition to previous guidance issued on March 8, 2020 to keep schools open, all non-essential school-associated gatherings and group activities should be canceled — such as group parent meetings, field trips, and competitions.

3. Workplace: Recommended implementation of distancing measures including an increased physical space between employees in offices and worksites, limited in-person meetings, limited travel, and staggered work schedules where possible.

4. Long-Term Care and Assisted Living: Strict limitations announced this week by the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services remain in place.

Three thoughts rushed through my head.

1)    What does this mean for the school auction this Saturday? (They moved it online)

2)    What does this mean for after school activities? (They were canceled the next day)

3)    Oh, four-letter-word-of-choice, we’re probably going to close, aren’t we? (yes, announced later)

I cannot stress how fast this flip was. When I woke up, everything was fine. Schools were still mostly open, events were happening, and life was continuing as normal. Within minutes of reading the article, the auction was canceled and the admins were having meetings. By mid-morning I got an email, with the first sentence being:

“Okay people, here’s what I know—AND WE ARE NOT SHARING THIS WITH STUDENTS OR FAMILIES YET!”

They were considering their options, and my subbing for the rest of the day was canceled. By this point the kids were figuring out that something was up—several likely already knew what was likely coming.

An hour later, it became official: school was going to close for at least a month.

The second I got home, I found my roommate. I gave her the scare of her life (a, “HI!” she wasn’t expecting), followed by:

“We need to go grocery shopping. Now.”

“Really? Are you sure-”

“Yes.”

And I’m glad we did. We were able to stock up on staples. Two days later (on a trip to the store for Pi Day goodies) the pasta aisle looked like this:

Huh, yet they still won't by Prego...

When I got to school for my afternoon lessons, the students were just learning the news and were in a panic.

“Austin,” they said, “what does this mean for the Murder Mystery Event? Is it canceled?” To which I replied (each time),

“One, I’ll go into details in class so I only have to say it once. Two, I’ll send out an email later with the same info. Three, you’ve known me for six years: am I a reacter or a planner?”

“Uh…kind of both.” (beat)

“Fair point. For this kind of thing, am I usually a reacter or a planner?”

(Without hesitation) “Planner.”

Here’s the thing. Ever since we’d heard the previous week that we might shut down (like a 2% chance, they said) I’d been planning for it. I’d emailed around for my options, ran through scenarios, etc. Because of that, while I was rushed when the time came, I still knew what I was going to do. And that distinction is important. As of writing this right now, it feels like the US’ response has largely been reactionary—fair point, since the last pandemic of this scale was the Spanish flu 102 years ago (Hey, new blog post idea!). But until we turn that corner and start really putting plans in place, we’ll always be one step behind.

But I digress.

The rest of the school day was spent focusing on the kids. See, I always remind myself that my time with the kids is potentially limited. One of us could leave at the end of the school year. Would I ever wish that I’d spent less time with them? Will I ever get a chance to get those lost minutes back? No, so I do my best to focus on enjoying the time that we have and giving them my all.

Now, back to our in flight movie—the evening was spent getting ready for…

03/13/2020-Friday (the 13^th [dun-dun-duuuhhh]). This day was a rush, kind of a culmination of the rest of the week. At the end of the day, everyone was going home. By class I was in first grade, helping monitor the kids while the teacher prepped them for the upcoming 4 WEEKS (MINIMUM) of remote learning; by lunch I was running like a mad-man, giving kids their character sheets for D&D. Once again, we only had a day to prepare.

If it sounds rushed and hectic, it was—but at least the school had a plan in place and a day to prepare. Some places only had hours—and no plan. At the end of the day, we made it. Kids got picked up, only a few things were left behind, and no one really panicked.

The second I got home, I flipped on the TV and turned to the news. This is it, I thought, time to see the long grocery lines and empty shelves; time to see scared interviews and experts going on and on and on about…

The oncoming snow. Portland got snow that weekend, and that’s all anyone on the news was going to talk about.

I guess normalcy is—sometimes—only a flurry away.

This has been another Adventure in the Austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don’t care either way, then tell everybody. Peace out, happy Quarantine.

And stay healthy.

On Staying Sane, or How to Survive the Quarantine

Well, it’s truly happened. I know that most people never thought we’d see this dastardly day, that it all seemed incredibly impossible, that even a week ago it was all so unmitigatedly unthinkable.

The stores have run out of toilet paper.

NNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

How will we survive without paper to clean ourselves with? I myself have given up my daily routine or scouring my skin with sandpaper, trying out this new thing called a, shower. It cleans you off with water, and so far it seems to be working well.

In other words, panic-problems often have simple solutions. The issue is training your mind to look for them. It’s not always easy. Everyone, many times in their lives, gives in to the group think. Whether it’s peer-pressure in school, an unwillingness to stand up to the boss when need be, or buying toilet paper in the apocalypse, everyone has their moments when its easier to just give-up and give-in.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend that for the Great Quarantine of 2020—and just think, if it’d happened a year earlier, that would have rhymed. The natural view is to see the Quarantine (and yes, I do think it deserves the capital Q) as an extended vacation. General habits will fall by the wayside, the excess free time will be eaten up by YouTube and Netflix, and a return to normal life will be seen as either an impossibility or an unwelcome distraction.

But, if you’re like me, you’re looking for ways to stop that from happening. Your goal is not just to survive the oncoming changes, but to thrive during them and plan for the future. Here are some tips on how to make that happen.

1) Set a schedule

We humans are creatures of habit--not routines, habits. There’s a wealth of research to back this up: we fall into ruts, and we like it that way. So, if you fall into the habit of watching Hulu (occasionally switching over to Disney+ in order to, “mix things up”), then your body will get used to it and rebel if there’s a change.

If you get into the habit of having no set schedule, then any schedule will feel like an imposition. If you fall into the habit of a productive schedule, then MOOLAH-MOOLAH!

As such, give yourself a schedule and stick with it. Make it specific yet meaningful, and make it a seven-day schedule. That way, when you get back to the usual week-day thing it’ll either feel like you’re giving yourself a break or still give you time to continue the routine. Here’s mine:

5:30 (When I naturally wake up)-Read the news.

6:00-Light workout

6:30-Breakfast

7:00-Shower & brush teeth

7:30-Walk

8:00-Work block 1 (writing)

11:30-Lunch

12:30-Work block 2 (prep)

3:00-Work block 3 (TBD)

6:00-Dinner

7:00-Free time

9:00-Get ready for bed.

2) Set Goals (and make sure they’re specific)

Humans like to feel as though we’re working towards something. It’s one of the reason politics works, and why social movement function. Give yourself a goal for the Quarantine: in two weeks, I will learn 200 Spanish words; in five days, I will be able to juggle three balls at once; I will edit all of my chapters in book one by April 5^th.

By giving yourself a specific, measureable goal, you are encouraging yourself to stay active and engaged in some way. Yes, you might end up feeling guilty if you don't finish, but I’d rather my brain look at that as a reason to stick to the goal than to not set one at all.

3) Stay connected

We have a thousand different ways to communicate these days. Text, video, YouTube, Twitch, flames, bodies, text burned into the skin of squirrels—take your pick. At the end of the day, the Quarantine will be isolating. Find ways to connect with others, and make it a part of your routine. Maybe you’ll all come together in a chat. Maybe you’ll have dinner virtually with friends. Use this time to talk about how you’re doing with your goal, or the hardships you’re facing, or the fact that you’re finally getting around to cleaning out the back closet (and you found Mr. Whiskers, and you didn’t know that cats could mummify in this climate). No matter how much of an introvert you are, there’s a huge difference between choosing isolation and being forced into it. Setting up these connections now—even if it’s only once a week—could be a life-saver.

4) Remember that Nothing is Forever

The Quarantine will pass—either because we get everything under control, or everyone dies. Either way, nothing is going to last forever. There will be a world after quarantine, and it will be filled with all the usual wonders and sadnesses. If you live as though that day will never come, then the shock to your system will be greater. But, if you live life like you’re preparing for the day that you’re able to return to normal, then you’ll be able to do so in a much better way.

So, there you have it: some tips to survive the Quarantine. Currently, grocery stores are still well stocked, panic is high, and who knows when we’ll come back. But I’m choosing to look for the opportunities, and I know that I’ll come out of this the better for having lived through it.

This has been another adventure of the austentatious. If you liked it, tell your friends; if you hated it, tell your enemies; and if you don’t care either way, then tell everybody. Peace out, happy Quarantine.

And stay healthy.